The present invention relates generally to a method and system of magnetic shielding for preventing interference caused by magnetic components inside semiconductor devices.
The use of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) that uses magnetic components has increased in recent years. MRAM technology typically provides a method of storing data bits using magnetic-resistance effect, which is a departure from the conventional method of storing data bits using electrical charges in such technologies as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Unlike DRAM and SRAM, MRAM is a non-volatile device that does not require constant electrical power to retain stored information, thereby consuming much less power. This power savings in MRAM are particularly appealing in mobile applications such as mobile computer devices. MRAM is ideal since they not only provide power savings, but typically exhibits higher speed than SRAM, and higher density than DRAM.
However, interference can be a major problem for components like MRAM where a large number of components are compacted into a small area such as an integrated circuit (IC). While many components in the IC have electrical interferences, MRAM also generates magnetic interferences with magnetic fields. A magnetic field may come from sources of magnetic flux, which can be anything from power lines and bar magnets to Earth. Since active circuit elements like bit lines, word lines, and other components that work in parallel with MRAM in an IC environment may generate magnetic fields during operation, they may affect MRAM operations when they are closely placed next to each other. The magnetic fields not only may distort signals within the IC but also induce changes on electrical signals of surrounding circuits connecting through the bonding pads. In fact, this problem is not just for MRAM, it is prevalent for any circuit module that produces inter-module interference.
In order to prevent interference of electromagnetic fields from interrupting operation of the IC that uses magnetic components such as MRAM, proper magnetic shielding within the system needs to be implemented. These barriers are metal with magnetic traits which can be placed between components within the IC. The shielding can attenuate magnetic field of a certain component from reaching another component resulting in less interference.
It is therefore desirable to produce a high performance IC having shielding mechanism for reducing inter-module interferences.